Little Miracles
by Thomas Mc
Summary: Paulette wants more than anything to give Joseph children but they are told by two doctors that it may not be possible for her.
1. Miscarriage

**Little Miracles_  
_**_By Thomas Mc_

**

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**

**Miscarriage**

**Spring 2041**

Paulette jotted some more notations onto the sticky note she had attached to the page she was currently reading. Her boss had given her a new manuscript to edit and she had brought it home so that she could take it below over the coming weekend. She was planning to discuss her proposed changes and corrections with the author himself while down there. It was a new book from Peter Chandler-Wells, she knew him as her husband's oldest brother. She chuckled to herself, wondering how the bosses at the publishing company she worked for would react if they ever got a look at the extremely elusive author of the most popular series of children's books since Dr. Seuss, and her publishing house's biggest moneymaker.

Paulette was also looking forward to spending time with two of her best friends, Peter's wife Cherry, and Emily Hanson the supermodel. Emily had taken a hiatus from her modeling career while expecting her second child and her husband Devin Chandler-Wells was currently walking on air. Their first child, Daniel, was just over a year old and already he was turning into a real handful.

Paulette hoped someday to have one just like him. In fact Paulette would be quite happy to fill her house with Joseph's offspring. Though they had yet to be successful, Paulette was still looking forward to the children she hoped to have with Joseph. She loved the children from Below, especially the young Chandler-Wells boys. They were such delightfully impish little miracles and she looked forward to having a few of her own. Doctor Robin had said that her extremely irregular cycle might cause a few difficulties but she and Joseph were both fertile so it was just a matter of time and luck.

Paulette's first inkling that she had already become pregnant was right after she felt the pangs of miscarriage. Joseph felt her distress from the kitchen and was instantly by her side.

Once he got her safely placed in bed, Joseph immediately called Doctor Robin Alcott. A half hour later she was at their place checking Paulette over. After chasing Joseph out of the bedroom she gave Paulette a much more thorough examination. Paulette could tell by the look on Doctor Robin's face that she was not happy about what she was learning. Finally Robin had finished her examination and she called Joseph back into the room.

Joseph went straight to Paulette's side and put his arms around her. Being an empath he already knew that the news was going to be bad.

As soon as Joseph had settled, Robin took a deep breath and started speaking. "As my father used to say, there is no point in sugar coating this, so I'll just give it to you straight." She paused a moment to organize her thoughts. "To begin with, it is highly unlikely that Paulette will ever be able to bear children." She gave the shocked couple a moment to absorb her pronouncement. She knew how much Paulette wanted to have a family, both for Joseph and for herself. Finally she continued. "During my examination, I discovered that there is significant scarring on the uterine walls." She paused again. This was neither the time nor the place to go into the cause of the scarring. She could talk to Paulette about it later, privately. "As a result of this scarring, it will be extremely difficult for you to successfully become pregnant. The chances of the fertilized egg finding a good site to attach itself is very slim. Even if it does and you do become pregnant, it will be virtually impossible for you to carry the fetus to term because there isn't sufficient undamaged surface area for the placenta to absorb enough oxygen and nutrition to support a growing baby."

Joseph held Paulette tight as she absorbed what Robin had told her. Tears sprang to her eyes as the sorrow of her tragic situation swept over her. She couldn't help blaming herself for this sad turn of events. That scarring was a relic of the most disastrous of her various unhappy affairs, there had been no love involved in that one. Bill had been so charming and handsome but within weeks he had turned out to be a sadistic monster. It had taken several months for her to recover from the damage he had done.

That memory led her thoughts to Frank. Despite his later betrayal she couldn't deny that it had been Frank that had helped her get over that horrible ordeal. Actually it had been Frank's later betrayal that had led directly to her first meeting with her beloved Joseph, so despite being a total stinker, she couldn't find it in her heart to feel too harshly towards him.

The warmth of Joseph's loving presence brought her back to the present. "Is there anything we can do?" She pleaded.

Robin thought a moment. "We already know that there is nothing wrong with either the sperm or the egg cells involved, so that leaves artificial insemination with a host mother as the best option for natural genetic offspring." She paused then forged ahead. "There is however one other obstacle we would still face." She paused to consider her words. "Paulette, the extreme irregularity of your cycle would make the timing very difficult when it came to harvesting a good fresh egg cell."

Robin gazed sympathetically at Paulette. "However, if you can find a suitable, willing host mother, I will do my best to help you with everything else." She closed her doctor's bag, a gift from her father when she had joined him in practice, and nodded to them both. "I'll let myself out and leave you two to talk about your options." She picked up the bag. "Call me if you need anything." She turned and left. Paulette was feeling totally wiped out, physically and emotionally, so they both went to bed shortly after Robin left.

~ x x x x x ~

Paulette spent the first part of the next morning telling Joseph the whole story about the source of the scarring that resulted in their current difficulty, she felt she owed him that explanation, then watched worriedly as he digested the information.

After several seconds of silence Joseph looked into her eyes and spoke. "That is all in the past. Water under the bridge." He paused a moment. "It's not your fault that . . . that . . ." Joseph looked around like he was searching for something, then he looked back into her eyes. His were now cold blue steel. "I just can't think of a word vile enough to apply to that monster that did this to you. What happened wasn't your fault and I will not have you blaming yourself for our current problem. I just hope I never cross paths with that monster or I may just do something that I don't even want to contemplate."

The look in his eyes softened as he put his arms around her. "Like Robin told us, there are options." He kissed her.

~ o ~

Joseph and Paulette had been discussing some of their options for a while now. They had yet to come up with a satisfactory solution. They were going over the very short list of people that they could approach with the host mother option when their attention was drawn to the video monitor. It had been left on from a movie that they had been watching a few hours earlier to unwind. The words 'For what it's worth' appeared across the bottom of the screen. That particular segment of the news was always good for a laugh and right now they desperately needed to lighten the mood. Joseph grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

The news anchor looked over at the newsman immediately to his right. "I see the full moon brought out an unusual crop at the park last night."

The other newsman responded. "That's right John, only the full moon, or moons, were on the backsides of a bunch of teenagers." The commentator chuckled at his own joke. "For what it's worth, a group of college kids that were making out in Central Park last night saw, get this, 'The Creature of Central Park' chase down grab and run off with a screaming young woman." The announcer smiled out of the screen. "We did some digging here at WNYC and found that stories of the creature go back nearly three quarters of a century. He seems pretty active for his age." There were a few more sly remarks about teenagers, hormones, alcohol and urban legends.

Joseph rolled his eyes. "When it rains it pours."

"What was that about?" Paulette asked worriedly.

Joseph shook his head. "Ten to one, Uncle Jacob and Aunt Linda were getting playful in the park last night and were spotted." He chuckled. "They have been known to get a bit frisky late at night in the park on occasion."

Paulette reached up and touched Joseph's cheek. "Do you think we will be that frisky when we're their age?"

"I'm counting on it, Lover." He leered back at her.

Paulette giggled in response to his look. Joseph smiled; it was good to see her eyes sparkle again. A short respite was just what they needed after the news they had received yesterday and the seriousness of today's discussions.

"It would probably be a good idea to head below and find out what's happening." Joseph suggested. "This could cause a few problems if those college students make too much noise or someone takes them seriously."

He turned off the video, stood up and helped Paulette to her feet. "You want to take anything below with you?"

Paulette looked around and snatched up the manuscript she had been working on yesterday before she had miscarried. God was it only yesterday that her world had been turned upside down by Robin's devastating news? "This is all I need to take with me." She waved the manuscript at him.

Joseph glanced out the French doors then looked at the clock on the knick-knack shelf. "We still have a couple of hours 'til dark." Again there was that leering glint in his eyes. "Just because you may not be able to get pregnant doesn't mean we can't keep trying." His unique eyebrows jogged up and down. "Maybe we just need to try more often."

His remarks were rewarded with a blush and a giggle. "Why Mr. Chandler-Wells, you beast you."

They were soon occupied in much happier pursuits.

~ o ~

By the time Paulette and Joseph arrived below the entire community was abuzz with talk about the fallout from Jacob and Linda's little escapade in the park last night. But getting just as much discussion was the tiny newborn infant that William had rescued from a burning building last night just seconds before it collapsed. According to William, the baby's mother had died in childbirth just minutes before he had reached them.

Paulette gazed at the infant in William's arms with yearning and a hint of envy in her heart. She turned away when William glanced up at her apparently sensing her emotions. She tried to suppress her feelings. She didn't want to burden him with her problems. Then she felt Joseph wrap his arms around her and her love for him rose up to overwhelm the other emotions. These people didn't yet know about the doom that had been pronounced on Joseph and herself. She felt they all had enough to deal with, between the sighting in the park and William's new charge, to be saddled with her minor little setback.

~ x x x x x ~

A few days later Joseph encountered William in the tunnel just outside their old chamber. William was so engrossed in the infant he was carrying that he almost collided with Joseph. They stopped to talk as Joseph admired the tiny baby his brother was carrying. After a couple of minutes William noticed a stream of _worry_ running through his brother's emotions. "What is it that's worrying you Little Brother?"

"Hu, what?" Joseph asked, surprised by the sudden change of subject.

"I can feel it in you. Something has got you worried and a little upset. So what is it?" William restated.

After a moment's hesitation Joseph responded. "It's Paulette. You know about her inability to get pregnant." William nodded. He really felt for both of them. "You know how Paulette is; she's been brooding a lot about it over the last two days. She thinks with her heart and she has a tendency to just forge ahead based on these feelings." Again William nodded, now a bit worried where this might be going. "If she gets it into her head that I would be better off if she left me so that I could find someone that could give me children, she will vanish and I may never be able to get her back." The worry that was running through his heart was now clearly showing on Joseph's face.

William knew Paulette well enough to know that his brother was right about her and now he was also beginning to worry about the possibility. "Do you have any reason to think that she might be contemplating this?"

"I'm afraid so." Joseph shook his head. "Something she said to Cherry yesterday makes me think that the idea has already entered her head and I'm scared to death that if we can't come up with an acceptable alternative for having children, the idea might take hold and I'll loose her."

William nodded understanding. "Where is she right now?" He asked.

Joseph bobbed his head in the direction he had been coming from originally. "She's in the library with Peter. They're going over his latest manuscript." He smiled momentarily. "I read a few pages of it. It's very good."

William nodded. "Good, good. That should keep her busy for a while." He gazed down at the infant in his arms while he thought about the problem. He looked back up at Joseph. "What you need to do is convince her that you would find loosing her far more devastating than the lack of children. That having children would be meaningless without her."

"That's all obvious." Joseph shrugged. "You know that's exactly how I feel."

"I know that." William placed his free hand on Joseph's shoulder. "What you have to do is convince **her** of it. She has to **really** believe, down to her toes, that nothing else matters if you don't have her." He glanced down at the child cradled in his arm. "A child can fill many holes in our lives and in our soul." He looked back up at Joseph. "But nothing can ever take the place of a true soul mate." He gave Joseph's shoulder a squeeze and let go. "You have to tell her that. Make her understand and believe." William now cradled the infant in both arms. "Besides you're both young, especially you Little Brother, you have plenty of time to start a family. Lay the idea of children aside for a while and just concentrate on enjoying each other. You can always pick up the family planning later on."

Joseph smiled at his brother feeling much lighter and happier. "Thanks Big Brother. You've given me a lot of important things that I can talk to her about. I really appreciate it."

"That's what big brother's are for." He replied and turned to enter his chamber.

Joseph headed on to the chamber he and Paulette shared Below. He had a lot to think about and plan before he talked to Paulette this evening.

~ x x x x x ~

Paulette sat in her boss's office smiling as he gushed. "I don't know how you did it Paulette. Peter is one of our most difficult authors. Even the smallest corrections seem to turn into battle royals with him and it usually takes at least a dozen or more rewrites before he is satisfied." He shook his head. "You come back with a manuscript that is bleeding red and he accepts all of the changes without any fuss, telling us to go with it. Your changes and comments were just so perfect; it was like you read the author's mind."

"Thank you, Zack. I do my best." She replied.

"How did you do it? What's your secret?" He asked. "And can you bottle it for the rest of my editors?"

Paulette merely smiled. She wasn't going to tell him that she had sat down face to face with Peter and they had gone through the manuscript, cover to cover together. They had discussed each change thoroughly before marking the manuscript. Half of the marks had been made by Peter himself while they were going through it.

Paulette wondered what Zack would say if she told him that one of their top selling, and most elusive, writers was her brother-in-law and had once been referred to as the Creature of Central Park. Then again Joseph, her own husband and Peter's brother, also fit that description. Thinking of Zack's possible reaction to these revelations caused her to smother a giggle.

"You seem to be in a better mood today." Zack commented.

"Just had a very amusing and instructive couple of days is all." She replied, thinking about the long talk she had had with Joseph last night. It had been very interesting and had done a lot to raise her spirits.

Zack interrupted her reverie. "Well anyway just wanted to tell you what a good job you're doing." He smiled. "Now get that silly grin out of here and get you're butt back to work. We have books to put out."

_**Continued in Part 2**_

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'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	2. Miracles Happen

**Little Miracles_  
_**_By Thomas Mc_

**

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**Miracles Happen**

**2044**

Looking down, Paulette moved her hands over her swollen abdomen in response to the kick she had just felt. "Will you look at what you've done to me?" She looked up at Joseph grinning. "You beast." She shook her head her eyes sparkling with the _joy_ Joseph could feel swirling through her. "Teach me to go messing around with a wild one like you." She leaned her head against her beautiful blond mane'd beast, enfolded in happy contentment. In the tunnels the term 'beast' had become a term of endearment when referring to one of the Chandler-Wells males, usually by their mates.

"Yea, ain't it grand?" Joseph replied with a soft smile. He could feel the _joy_ radiating off her like heat from a fire and he loved to warm his spirit from that heat.

For the last few months both Doctor Robin and Doctor Teresa had been shaking their heads and clucking their tongues over Paulette's medically improbable pregnancy. They had both watched over her like a pair of mother hens, determined to see her through this and be there for her when things finally fell apart. But she was now halfway through her eighth month and little Robert was still hanging in there despite their dire predictions. They had only done one ultrasound, due the fear that almost any external stimulus might cause a spontaneous abortion. That fuzzy image had suggested that the baby was developing normally and was probably male. Joseph had readily acceded to her wish to name him after her late father.

Paulette noticed a cloud pass briefly across her lover's face. "What's wrong Joseph?" She touched the side of his face. "Is it about William again?"

Joseph gazed into her brown eyes. Even though they had never formed a bond like all the other Chandler-Wells couples, she always seemed to be able to know what he was feeling. "I can't quite explain it. William just hasn't been the same since he got shot by that monster hunter." He looked down as he took her hands in his. "I'm just worried about him."

Paulette nodded in response. "I know dear, I've seen the change in him and it worries me too. Even little Karen has noticed and she is very worried about her daddy."

Joseph shook his head. "It's so strange. We tried so hard for so long to have a child and he just finds one lying around with no known living relatives to claim her."

Paulette again touched her belly. "Well, soon we will have a little miracle of our own to care for." Then she felt a sticky wet sensation. She shifted position, glancing down at the sofa cushion and there was blood. "Oh God, No!" She looked up in a panic. "Joseph, there's something wrong."

Joseph was already picking up the phone and was dialing Doctor Robin Alcott's number.

Just under a half hour later Doctor Robin showed up at the apartment. By then the bleeding had stopped but she insisted that Paulette be rushed to the hospital. Once they arrived she did a quick ultrasound test. She nodded her head after a couple of minutes, as if finding exactly what she had expected, and put the equipment away.

"Well Paulette, there is a problem and we will have to take precautions to help the fetus remain intact and healthy but it is not yet too serious." She smiled reassuringly. "What happened is you have a partially detached placenta." She gently touched her belly. "Little Robert is still healthy and hanging in there but all that scaring is causing the placenta to pull away from the uterine wall. It is a medical miracle of the first order that it has managed to remain attached this long. Fortunately the fetus is already about thirty weeks along, normal gestation is around thirty-six weeks, so it is developed enough to have a good chance for survival if we have to deliver early. Right now each day we can delay delivery improves his chances and the best way to do that is complete bed rest. I want you to start your maternity leave immediately and tomorrow morning I want you moved Below so that you will be close to the tunnel infirmary. I will go down personally tonight and apprise Teresa of the situation."

"Is all that really necessary Doctor?" Paulette asked, a tremor creeping into her voice.

Robin shrugged. "Normally I wouldn't go to these extremes but your case is special. Truthfully, Teresa and I are both amazed that this hadn't happened sooner and I am determined to make sure you and Joseph have this child. It is probably the only chance you will ever get and I plan to see it through."

Robin took Paulette back to her apartment and repeated to Joseph everything she had told Paulette. Then she headed below to have a long talk with the resident tunnel physician, Doctor Teresa.

~ x x x x x ~

Paulette lay in her bed reading a book Joseph had brought her. Yesterday's move below had been excessively cautious to the point of being almost comical and annoyingly cautious to the point of driving Paulette to distraction. They had treated her like a china doll that would shatter if she were jostled and she had alternated between giggling at the absurdity of it and fighting the urge to bite someone's head off out of annoyance.

Hearing a voice Paulette looked up in surprise to see Catherine and Vincent standing in her doorway. "How are you doing, Dear?" Catherine asked.

"So far, so good." She replied then added with a shrug. "Of course that's what the jumper said when he passed the fifth floor window."

That brought a chuckle out of Vincent as he and Catherine entered Paulette's chamber.

Catherine sat down in the chair that was usually occupied by Joseph, next to her bed. Vincent stood behind the chair, his hand resting on Catherine's shoulder. If there is anything we can do for you, just ask." Vincent remarked.

"I understand what you're going through, Paulette." Catherine stated as she placed a hand on her arm. "I went through the same thing with my first pregnancy but Jacob and Jennifer both turned out just fine and I'm sure little Robert will be fine as well."

"I'll be OK." Paulette replied then she shook her head. "I just wish Joseph wasn't so afraid to touch me. Ever since the day before yesterday it's like he is afraid I will break if he breaths on me too hard."

"Give it a little time dear and he'll come around." Catherine told her.

"It's a guy thing." Vincent chimed in. "We all think our women are a lot more delicate than they really are." He grinned at her showing his fangs. "It's tied in with our masculine pride. We don't want to admit that you females are probably tougher that us."

That elicited a small laugh from Paulette. She always enjoyed her occasional encounters with Catherine and Vincent. To her they were the origin as well as the perfect example of what it meant to be a Chandler-Wells family.

~ x x x x x ~

Maryanne answered her door and was surprised to find Elizabeth Maxwell standing there. Elizabeth started talking as soon as the door was open. "I know this is unexpected but I needed to see you." Elizabeth told her.

"Ah, sure. Come on in." She led Elizabeth to her small living room and they both sat down. "What is it that you wanted to see me about?"

"I assume that you know that Paulette is expecting." Elizabeth started right off.

Maryanne nodded. "Yes, I've talked to my boss about taking a couple of weeks off after the baby's born so I can go to New York and see them both."

"I wanted to know if you can start your vacation early and come back with me. Paulette has been through a very difficult pregnancy and I think it would be very helpful to have you there for her. It's coming down to the wire now. The baby could come any time in the next two weeks." Elizabeth then proceeded to explain to Maryanne the difficulties around Paulette's situation and emphasized how much her mother's presence would help her.

"Paulette never told me about all that other stuff." Maryanne responded thoughtfully. "I can talk to my boss tomorrow morning. How soon do I need to go?"

"I have a few days before I have to be back. If you can leave by then you could come back with me." Elizabeth replied.

~ x x x x x ~

Maryanne glanced speculatively at her seat companion. This was the second time she had flown first class and it was probably old hat for someone like Elizabeth. One of the things Elizabeth had told her was that she was going to be let in on the one secret that had been withheld from her the last time she had been in New York for Paulette's wedding. This time she would find out how Joseph and his family had remained hidden from the rest of the world.

The subject of that secret had been on her mind a lot lately. Ever since the news of the Creature sighting hit the media a couple of years ago, she had been closely following the news and worrying about her daughter's safety. Paulette had insisted that there was no chance of discovery but that didn't really help relieve the anxiety she felt. Now she was consumed with curiosity. Maybe once she had seen for herself and understood how they did it she would feel more at ease.

~ x x x x x ~

Paulette looked up at the sound of Elizabeth's voice and was stunned to see her mother standing beside her in the chamber doorway. As they approached Paulette could see that her mother was still dazed by just the little that she had already seen of this subterranean world. "Mother! What are you doing here?" Paulette asked. "How did you find your way in?"

Maryanne moved to her daughter's side. "Elizabeth came to Nebraska and brought me here. She thought you might want to have me around when my grandchild is born."

Paulette looked up at Elizabeth. She was both very surprised and very grateful that her mother had been brought in on the big secret so that she could be here now. "Thank you." She told her.

Maryanne sat down on the edge of her daughter's bed. "This place is incredible. I never would have guessed that someplace like this could exist under the city." She took her daughter's hand. "When I first thought that you would be living inside a real life fairytale I never guessed how right I was."

"It is pretty amazing, isn't it? And you've only seen the most ordinary parts of it." Paulette responded. "I am so glad you're here, Mom."

At this point Joseph came into the chamber. He paused a moment taking in the scene then stepped toward Maryanne. "Mrs. Gibson, it is great to see you again. I'm very glad that you will be able to be here for Paulette."

"It's good to see you again Joseph." Maryanne responded.

About ten minutes later William, Charles and Cherry entered the chamber carrying trays of food and placed them on the small table beside the bed. Charles gathered his two sons. "Let's head to the dining chamber and let the women have a little girl time together." The three of them exited the room leaving Elizabeth and Cherry behind with Paulette and her mother.

~ x x x x x ~

Paulette gripped the hands of her lover on one side and her mother on the other while Doctor Teresa dealt with the business end of this business. Doctor Robin was standing in the background, ready to back Teresa up if she needed it. "Now push!" Teresa commanded and, with a half groan, Paulette pushed with all her might. "I see the head." Teresa announced triumphantly as the pressure eased. "Just one more time and we should be done." Teresa encouraged. "You can do it honey." Her mother added. The need to push surged up again. "Now push Paulette." Teresa ordered and again Paulette pushed with all her might emitting a high pitched groan through gritted teeth. Then, suddenly, it was over as the pressure went away and her head fell back onto the pillow in exhaustion. Paulette saw Teresa lifting a small squirming body and checking it over closely.

"Um, Paulette, I ah, I think you may want to rethink your child's name." Teresa commented a bit dryly.

"What?" Paulette head snapped up from her pillow.

"Maybe you can change it to Roberta." Teresa continued.

"What?" Paulette shook her head in confusion

"Congratulations. It's a girl." Teresa announced as Joseph slipped his arm around Paulette.

"A girl, are you sure?" Paulette responded in disbelief.

"She's got all the appropriate parts." Teresa said with a laugh as she held the newborn up for their inspection.

"Paulette she's beautiful." Joseph exclaimed as he hugged her close while gazing at his new daughter. "Thank you for this wonderful gift you've given me."

"I couldn't have done it without your help." She replied with a bit of a tired giggle.

Suddenly she felt the urge to push again. "Uh, oh. Here comes the afterbirth." Remarked Robin as she stepped forward to deal with it. Then Maryanne helped Robin clean Paulette up while Teresa took care of the newborn.

Teresa handed the now bundled infant to Paulette as Joseph gazed down at his wife and new child in amazed wonder. Maryanne looked on with a huge grin as a single tear slid down her cheek.

As they all surrounded the new family an emergency message went flying along the pipes. Paulette interpreted the message for her mother. "William is heading toward the infirmary with a severely injured and bleeding woman in his arms."

Robin glanced at Teresa. "You go ahead and take care of the emergency. I'll take care of Paulette." She gave Teresa a gentle nudge. "Send for me if you need help." She called as Teresa raced out of the chamber.

"What do you think that is all about?" Maryanne asked.

"There's no telling." Joseph shook his head. "William's found himself another damsel in distress." He paused. "Whoever it is, William is very worried and upset."

Paulette looked at Joseph alarmed. "You don't think he went up to the park despite the ban do you?"

"I don't know." Joseph shrugged. "I haven't been monitoring our link much lately, but I wouldn't put it past him."

"Ban?" Maryanne asked confused.

Paulette answered as she continued to look up at Joseph. "There have been so many monster hunters running around in the park the last few years. One even shot William with a tranquilizer dart a few months ago. So the counsel instituted a ban on using the Park access points and all the Chandler-Wells males are supposed to avoid the park completely."

"That makes sense." Maryanne concluded. Everyone went back to admiring the newest addition to Paulette's family.

~ x x x x x ~

By the next morning the pipes were singing with the two major news items. The injured woman William had brought Below, was the monster hunter that had shot him several months ago and he had been heard to have loudly professed his love for said monster hunter. The other item was the news that, despite the odds against it, Paulette had delivered a healthy baby girl.

_**Continued in Part 3**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	3. Lightning Strikes Twice

**Little Miracles_  
_**_By Thomas Mc_

**

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**Lightning Strikes Twice**

**2047**

Paulette stood before the newly walled up chamber and caressed the metal plate that marked the final resting place of Catherine and Vincent. It had only been a week since their passing and she missed them both terribly. They had both been so kind to her, and Catherine had done so much to help her thought the last month of her difficult pregnancy.

She glanced down at little Roberta, that beautiful, precocious, three year old, medically impossible, gift that she and Joseph had been given. She had her daddy's golden blond hair and her mother's dark brown eyes. There was more than a hint of her grandmother Elizabeth in her sweet little mischievous face. Paulette gave her daughter's little hand a gentle squeeze and turned to continue down the hall to the community dining chamber. Paulette wasn't particularly hungry but Roberta was starving and wasn't afraid to say so to anyone that would listen. A wave of dizziness passed through Paulette causing her to fall back against the tunnel wall. She slowly slid down the wall as consciousness slipped away.

"Mommy?" Roberta touched her mother's face. "Mommy!" She became upset when her mother didn't respond. "**Mommy!**" She yelled as she shook her mother without getting any response.

Roberta looked frantically around then grabbed up a small loose piece of rock and started banging on the nearest pipe. From the time they are two years old, every child raised in the tunnels learned how to tap out the pipe code for their own name and the words 'need help'. Concentrating all of her three year old mind on what she had been taught about emergency situations, Roberta checked to see if her mother was breathing OK. Reassured that her mother was still alive, she returned to tapping her message on the pipe. A few minutes later she was crying with relief to see Daddy, Uncle William and Doctor Teresa come running down the tunnel towards her.

Her daddy picked her up and comforted her while Doctor Teresa checked her mother over. Then she was passed over to Uncle William and Daddy gently picked up her mother. They all followed Doctor Teresa back to the doctor cave.

~ o ~

Paulette became aware that she was lying in the infirmary. The last thing she remembered was pausing at the marker to Catherine and Vincent's tomb. "Ah awake I see." Remarked Teresa as she walked up.

"What happened?" Paulette asked groggily.

"You passed out."

Paulette's brows furrowed. "Why?"

Teresa consulted a clipboard she was holding. "Let's see . . . hmm . . . according to this you are under nourished. You have low blood sugar. You are just a little bit anemic. And . . ." She looked back down at the clipboard and frowned then looked up." . . . you're pregnant again." She shook her head in disbelief. "About nine or ten weeks."

"What? But that's impossible." Paulette responded in surprise.

"You're telling me?" Teresa shrugged. "I keep telling you that you can't get pregnant then you go out and do it anyway." She set down the clipboard. "I've already sent a message to Robin. Do you want to give the news to Joseph? He and Roberta are both waiting in the main infirmary chamber." She cocked her head and smiled.

"I want to tell them." Paulette smiled back.

Teresa pulled the tapestry aside. "You can come in now." She called out.

Joseph came into the emergency chamber carrying little Roberta. "We're here, Love. Are you OK?"

Paulette could tell by the look on Joseph's face that he already knew that the news was positive but surprising. Darn empaths. She had already thought of several ways she could play with him but with his empathic gift, none of them would work. "Well Dear, I'm afraid that it's bad news." His expression showed that he didn't believe a word of it. "We're going to have to find a bigger place, I'm pregnant again." Despite his empathic gift she still had the satisfaction of seeing the look of stunned surprise on his face as her words registered in him. This was the last thing he had expected to hear.

Finally, he shook off the shock and gave a whoop of delight, then Paulette, Joseph and little Roberta were all engaged in a joyous group hug.

After a few minutes of celebration Teresa got their attention. "OK kids. Now this pregnancy will have the same risks and problems as the last one. Unfortunately this time the chances of problems will be just a bit higher, so we are going to start early on the extra cautious treatment. I want you to start your maternity leave within the month and I want someone with you at all times." She crossed her arms in a stance of determination. "Despite the ridiculous odds against you, lightning has struck again and I'm going to do my damndest to see this through with you." She relaxed a bit and smiled. "It's not often that I get to take part in a genuine certifiable miracle."

~ x x x x x ~

It was the first day after Paulette had begun her maternity leave and moved Below for the duration. Her little six year old niece Karen had come to visit her and was going on about the latest antics of her little baby brother, Alexander. She looked at Paulette's middle. "Is it a boy or a girl?" She asked in childlike innocence.

"It's too soon to tell." Paulette replied with a smile.

William poked his head in the doorway. "There you are. It's time to head home, honey."

"OK, Daddy." Karen trotted over to the doorway then paused and looked back. "Bye Aunt Paulette." Then held up her arms in obvious expectation of being picked up. William didn't disappoint her and together they disappeared up the tunnel.

~ x x x x x ~

Paulette and Patricia were both ooh-ing and ah-ing over little Alexander. Paulette held her hand over her belly. "I'm really kinda hoping that this one will be a boy like Alexander here. It would be nice to present Joseph with a son." A momentary frown flashed unnoticed across her face.

Patricia looked up from the baby in her arms smiling. "I know how you feel, but I'm sure Joseph would be just as happy with another girl. I've seen how Roberta wraps him around her little finger."

"I'm sure he would but I can't help thinking that this is probably the last chance I'll ever have to bare him a son." Paulette replied. "That is assuming I'm actually able to carry this one to term."

"Hey have a little faith in yourself and Doctor Teresa. You pulled it off once, be . . ." Paulette was partially doubled over, one hand pressed against her middle, the other against the table as a soft groan escaped her lips. "Paulette?" Patricia responded, worry plainly visible in her voice. Paulette looked up at her and there was pain in her eyes. Patricia helped her to the bed then she noticed the blood spots. "Hold on. I'll be right back." She ran out of the chamber and banged out an emergency call for help on the pipes. As soon as she got an acknowledgment she ran back in to help Paulette.

Four minutes later Teresa burst into the chamber and gave Paulette a quick once-over. The pain was slowly easing and Teresa pulled out a new portable ultrasound that had been purchased for her by the Wells-Chandler foundation. The images it displayed were nowhere near as clear or precise as the machine in her infirmary but it was good enough to show her what she needed to know. She relaxed a bit after she finished.

"Well, This is what I was afraid of but it's still hanging in there." She put her instruments away. "The fetus is having difficulty remaining attached. This is exactly what Robin and I had been afraid of during your last pregnancy. We were extremely lucky last time but this time we aren't quite so lucky. You're still pregnant but we are going to have to monitor you constantly and try to keep it going as long as we can. Maybe we'll get lucky again and junior here will hang in there long enough to survive birth." She snapped her bag shut and looked Paulette in her worried eyes. "Keep the faith Paulette. There's hope still and I don't intend to give up on you yet."

Patricia, who had been watching nervously from across the chamber, spoke up. "You hang in there Paulette. We're all pulling for you."

~ o ~

An hour and a half later Joseph and William both arrived, filthy from the work party they had been on. Joseph ran up and threw his arms around Paulette and William took Alexander from Patricia and she put her arms around him, accepting the comfort of his presence. "I felt your distress and suspected it might have something to do with Paulette." William stated simply.

Joseph looked up at Patricia and William. "I am so thankful you were here for her." He shook his head. "There are no pipes where we were working and without a bond I wouldn't have known you needed me." He was shaking his head. "I don't mind not having a bond with you except at times like this." He hugged her protectively. "I need to go talk to Doctor Teresa. Will you watch over her for me?"

Patricia patted William on his chest. "Of course we will, you don't even need to ask." She knew how much William cared about Paulette and she was also very fond of her friend.

Joseph gave Paulette a kiss. "I'll be back just as soon as I can." Another quick hug and he headed for the infirmary.

~ x x x x x ~

Paulette and Joseph looked on anxiously as Teresa stared intently at the tiny screen of her little portable ultrasound device. This was the third time that she had started bleeding and they were both very worried. Not only the baby but Paulette's own health was at stake. She had been having trouble with low blood pressure, anemia and there had been recent indications of a heart arrhythmia. This pregnancy was turning out to be much harder on her than the last one.

Paulette felt Joseph's hand tighten in hers as he reacted to her anxiety. She glanced up into his eyes, grateful for his loving support. Paulette had become extremely invested in having this second child for Joseph. Joseph was set on helping her get through this no matter what happened. He was trying hard not to let his hopes get up too high but he was beginning to look forward to another child in the family. He'd start debating with himself whether he wanted a boy or another girl, then he'd call himself to task, reminding himself that they weren't even sure she could carry it to term.

Teresa put away the portable ultrasound. "I honestly don't know how that child is managing to remain attached. This is the third time he has tried to come loose and still he hangs in there." She nodded her head decisively. "We are taking no more chances. The bleeding was significantly worse this time than the incident six weeks ago. I am putting you on total bed rest in the infirmary. I'm afraid it's no longer a question of if he becomes detached but when he comes free. You've made it all the way to twenty-eight weeks, let's see just how much further we can push it. When he becomes completely detached we will only have minutes to get him out."

"You keep saying he." Paulette commented, staring at her intently and just a bit hopefully.

"That's what he is. This time there is no doubt." Teresa replied with a smile. "I just saw the evidence on the screen."

By evening Paulette had been moved into one of the two emergency chambers of the underground infirmary. In some ways this little emergency chamber was better equipped that the hospitals above. It contained the best battery powered medical equipment that the Wells-Chandler Foundation money could buy.

The next week Elizabeth talked to Maryanne on the phone and explained why Paulette would be out of communication for a while. Then they made plans for her to fly to New York in two weeks. That was the soonest Maryanne could get off work, and Elizabeth purchased the tickets for her.

~ x x x x x ~

Maryanne had been staying Below almost two weeks and still was amazed by this fantastic subterranean world. She was staying in a guest chamber and she was amazed at how comfortably cozy a small chamber cut into solid rock could be. When she and Joseph were not at her daughter's side, he had shown her a few of the more interesting parts of their world.

A voice came from beyond the tapestry. "Maryanne, its Joseph. May I come in?"

She thought about how they were all so considerate and polite down here. "Sure come on in, Joseph." She saw a clawed hand appear at the edge of the tapestry, curl around it and start to pull it back. Her daughter's description of her first meeting with Joseph flashed through her mind and she cracked up. Joseph entered the chamber looking at her curiously. She got her laughter under control. "Paulette was right. When you reach around the tapestry like that, it does look like a scene from an old werewolf movie."

Joseph laughed at the reference. Paulette had rented the movie in question a few years ago and they had watched it together. She had squealed in delight when the referenced scene had come up. Suddenly Joseph was very alert, then he turned worried eyes on Maryanne. "Something's wrong. We need to get to the infirmary."

~ o ~

Paulette was talking with Patricia and Cherry about what it was like raising an empathic child when she was suddenly doubled over with pain. They both moved in to help her when Cherry noticed the blood. "I'll get Teresa." Cherry called as she ran out of the chamber.

Seconds later she returned with Teresa just as the pain had eased somewhat. She snatched up the ultrasound and ran it over Paulette's belly, concentrating on the image. She tossed it onto a tray. "Patricia send out a message on the pipes Cindy needs to get here immediately and I need Robin to get here as soon as she can." She turned to Cherry as Patricia ran out of the room. "I'm going to need your help until Cindy gets here." Then she looked into Paulette's pain clouded eyes. "Paulette, I need you to listen to me." She paused to make sure she had Paulette's attention. "The placenta has becomes completely detached and your body is attempting a spontaneous abortion. Unfortunately the baby hasn't turned so it is a breach. Since the placenta is no longer taking in oxygen we've only got about a minute if we want to get the baby out alive. I'm going to give you an injection to prevent contractions and deaden the pain, I can't take the time or the risk to put you out, then I'm going to do an emergency Cesarean section." She picked up the hypo and gave Paulette the shot. "I'm going to need you to be strong both for yourself and for your baby. You are at least thirty-two weeks along so the chances for his survival are excellent if I can get him out quickly enough." She glanced around. "Where is that girl?" Just then Cindy burst into the chamber. "Cindy, set up the IV."

Joseph and Maryanne rushed into the main infirmary chamber to find Cherry and Patricia waiting for them. "Teresa's doing a C section right now."

About a minute later Teresa called out for Cherry. She entered the emergency chamber and about a minute later came out carrying a small bundle. Joseph and Maryanne looked down at the tiny leonine infant in awed wonder. "He is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Maryanne remarked in quiet reverence.

"I couldn't agree more." Joseph replied as he and Maryanne hugged. Then he turned his attention to Cherry. "What about Paulette?" He asked.

"Teresa said that there is a lot of repair work she has to do and it will take a while but Paulette will be fine."

~ o ~

A few hours later Paulette and Joseph lay in their bed gazing at their newborn son as she fed him his first bottle. Teresa had told them that it would take a few days for her milk to start flowing. Her middle ached terribly now that the anesthetic had worn off and Teresa had informed her that this was definitely the last child she would ever bare because the breach and the cesarean had done too much additional damage, but she was content. Her mother was there to help her 'til she was back on her feet. She had the boy and the girl that she had wanted and she had Joseph by her side. What more could any girl want.

_**THE END  
**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


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